Key and Door Lock Confusion

adamred · adamred's Garage

When I bought my car the PO gave me 2 red keys and a black. Both Reds start my car no problem. The black key until recently only opened the drivers door. I'd have to get in and unlock the passenger from the inside.

Now the driver door will not unlock with the key, it just gets stuck. Black key does not open glovebox or front trunk. It worked for a year so maybe it just needs to be rebuilt?

What can I do? New keys ($70 from dealer) from the VIN, no guarantee that some PO hasn't replaced the locks. But this seems to be the least expensive starting place....

My wrench said he could try but it would be 2-4 hours labor (@$80 per hour) to remove, work on them and he couldn't guarantee that he could fix them. When I suggested just replacing the locks he thought cost would be astonomical.

Oh also remembered that PO mentioned that he tried to just take the existing black key to a locksmith and get dupes (b/c there's only one) and all of them failed to open the door.

Advice?

vash · vash's Garage

i am in this hell as we speak. i learned that there are alot of issues with the doors. does the key turn? can the door be unlocked with the knobs?

NEED HELP big time! door lock.

oldE · 02-05-2004, 12:34 PM

Is it possible the black key is a "valet" key. These operate the driver's door and ignition but do not allow access to the storage compartments? The sticking door lock could be incidental.
Les

adamred · adamred's Garage

I think the black key is definitely a valet key it has the symptoms....

The locks open and close with the knobs just not the key anymore....And actually the passenger lock never worked with the black key.

Think I should start with new keys from a dealer and go from there? Less then the cost of 1 hour labor, and they'll make a nice toy for my kids if they don't work...

Looking mommy I have a key to daddy's "sports car"

targa80 · targa80's Garage

You said that the dealer can order new keys for $70.00. Does that also include the alarm key? I don't have the red key but I was under the impression that it was the valet key( I think I read that in the owners manual). I have three keys one is for the door and ignition. the second is for the front hood lock. the third is for the glove box. I never did get the key for the alarm. I would take the risk on spending $70.00 bucks to get a new set of keys. If my locks are different then I would consider having the locks refitted to match the keys.

Question: Anyone else with a 1980SC can tell me what keys they have and what they do?

timz · 02-06-2004, 06:49 AM

Mine came with a "master" key (with light), a black key, and a red key. Both the master and black opened everything and the red everything but the glove. I understood from the PO that the red was the valet key. Unfortunately none of the keys works the passenger door, and just the other day started acting up in the ignition. Good luck and let us know what you do.

targa80 · targa80's Garage

One of my keys is the master with the light. Except the half of the case that holds the battery in was gone when I bought the car. I bought a new key light with a blank key. I then had the key cut to match the old one.

timz · 02-06-2004, 07:30 AM

It seems the solution for your problem, and mine for that matter would be to use the key(s) that works the ignition as the master and have the others rekeyed for that key. I understand that once you remove the offending locks, a locksmith can rekey for less than the $70 price tag you have mentioned.

Unfixed, did you have to rekey yours?

thabaer · thabaer's Garage

The difference between owner and valet keys is a groove down each side of the blanks. They are cut the same so you could use any key that works well to get either a valet or owner key made. Some key shops don't have the right cutters for the harder steel in Porsche/Audi blanks and charge extra for the excess wear on their equipment.

If no key works well in both doors and the ignition, then you probably need to take timz's advice and take the cylinder to a locksmith. My dealership parts guy actually offered to loan me his box of sliders when I rekeyed my ignition, but I was able to do it by combining parts of the old and new assemblies.

vesnyder · vesnyder's Garage

I would find a good locksmith. I brought a similar issue to a local locksmith and for $3.00 I walked away with a new Valet key.

timz · 02-06-2004, 07:55 AM

Charlie,

Where did you pick up just the tumbler assemblies?

adamred · adamred's Garage

Alright just called a good local locksmith, he's going to take a look at the keys and lock and we'll start there before I go to the dealer.

BTW when the PO handed me the keys he said red's for ignition, black for the locks (whatever ones actually worked at the time) and it never occured to me to try the red key in the locks but it sounds like I should? Right?

Adam

timz · 02-06-2004, 09:01 AM

the reds should work the doors also, just not the glove box or trunk.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

A good locksmith can either rekey the tumblers or cut a new key (mine recently cut a set of extra keys). Forget about the dealership-they want to sell you new locksets. If the black key used to work and now doesn't, its the tumbler and not the key. My locksmith said that the German cars are prone to weak tumbler springs. Take the tumblers out and have them redone and/or re-key the car at the same time.
btw, the Alarm key is a seperate tumbler and key. Cost about $70 for a new tumbler and 2 keys.

dickster · 02-06-2004, 01:35 PM

i had a similar issue. i could only unlock the drivers side, and then had to climb through to unlock the passenger side.

i ordered new tumblers, only to find that the old ones just needed stripping, cleaning, and rebuilding. now the old ones work great. with years of use they get gummed up.

i would strip the old ones first. its very easy.

KNS · 02-07-2004, 01:26 PM

On my '80 SC, it only came with the red valet key when I bought it
and neither door lock worked. I took out the lock barrels and found that the the little screw on the end of the lock barrel had worked itself loose. I put a little bit of loctite on the threads, cleaned up the lock itself and few drops of triflow down into the
lock. Bought a Porsche key blank (ten or 15 dollars I think) and
had True Value make a copy out of the valet key. Works great.

onewhippedpuppy · 02-07-2004, 01:45 PM

Adam, have you tried lubing the lock yet? They sell graphite lock lube in a spray can, I shot some in mine and they work like new. Try the simple stuff first, and pray it works, even though it never does for me. Luckily I don't have any red/ black key confusion, my 911 only came with one key total, and it does it all. No fancy light either.

Rouxzy · 02-08-2004, 06:00 AM

Adam,
FWIW, I just had a bout with my keys and locks. I had to change out my ignition, therefore the key did not fit the doors. I took the locks out of the doors to rekey myself. Low and behold there was so much crud in the lock that the pins barely worked at all. It may not be a bad idea to take your locks out and clean them. Just remember before you pull the lock out of the barrel put the key in the lock. If you don't you could have pins flying out at you.
Tom

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

From the original owners manual

And for those not fluent auf Deutsch

adamred · adamred's Garage

So an update, maybe its the cold (although my car is in a garage) but now the driver door lock does not lock at all, from inside or out, and all of my keys look like the one on the right above.

If we can string together a few warmer days, looks like they may be coming this week.... I plan on taking the door panel apart and seeing what I've got going on in there. Hopefully I can snap some digi pics and post.